Why I don’t trust the Bible – Part 5 – An inaccurate description of reality

After having hundreds of conversations about Christianity I have noticed many people perform the “faith flip-flop” maneuver. In the beginning they start off being quite confident, boldly proclaiming that the Bible has been proven to accurately describe reality. After further examination, when confronted with various biblical errors and inaccuracies, they flip flop to saying “you can’t prove or disprove it, you just have to take it on faith.” Many simply reject the evidence by saying that it’s impossible to “disprove” the Bible, because it speaks in a spiritual magisterium, one that cannot be tested, analyzed, or examined by human methods like science and reason. “The Bible cannot be scrutinized,” they say, but is that really the case?

In part they are correct, the Bible does make a plenitude of claims and assertions that we have no way of verifying or falsifying. For example, the Bible says that there is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). Is there any way we would be able to detect that? Can we look up in our telescopes and see angels rejoicing? Can we visit heaven? Are there echoes of angelic songs and dances that slowly ripple their way down to the earth? No, this claim is completely outside of the realm of verification and falsifiability, we simply have no way to examine it, rather it has to be accepted on faith.

Yet, there are other claims in the Bible that can indeed be tested, and are these we can falsify or verify. The Bible says that millions of Hebrews left Egypt in a mass exodus (600,000 men, not counting women and children; Exodus 12:37-38). We can examine the evidence for and against this historical claim. For example we can go to the described desert route and do archaeological excavations, seeking the physical traces of such a colossal emigration (which archaeologists assure us, would most definitely be there). We can also read the recorded histories of the ancient peoples in the region and time period to find corroborating evidence, if this massive migration is confirmed or mentioned.

It’s claims like these that interest me the most, the claims that can actually be inspected using an evidence based approach. If the Bible claims that a particular process cures cancer, let us employ this process and see if it works. If the Bible says that Belshazzar was the king after Nebuchadnezzar, let us can compare that to Babylonian historical records to see if it matches (nope, it doesnt.)

And so, with no more ado, let’s briefly examine just a few claims of the Bible (we only have time for a few) to see if they are an accurate representation of reality.

INACCURATE ADVICE

1. Prayer doesn’t really work

The Bible states that “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Mat 21:22). We can test this claim, we can observe people who do believe and pray, and we can see as their prayers are unanswered. I’m serious, pray that God would reveal himself to me, like he did to Apostle Paul, the Bible says “whatever you ask for” and that surely applies. Okay. Prayed? Why hasn’t it happened? If prayer works, why do people usually have only one or two examples of miracles, out of tens of thousands of people uttering tens of thousands of prayers? Why doesn’t it happen consistently? And these exceptions are usually cases of random selection, which is when ten people pray for something that always has a 10% chance of happening, of course one person always get an “answer.” Any of the more concrete sounding miracles out there, are always unverifiable, always based on testimony alone, usually in unreachable countries, brought to us by the world’s longest game of telephone.

Where are the cases with hard evidence? Person with an amputated limb walks into a prayer meeting, and limb grows back after prayer? Why hasn’t that happened even once in the history of the world? Instead of giving me a documented case, I’ve only ever seen lots of post hoc rationalizations that try to explain away why it’s not working (“oh, it’s not Gods plan”, “well you didn’t have faith”, etc). Let’s be honest, you claim prayer works, and yet, deep down, if I ask you to pray for God to heal all the little children in Seattle Children’s Hospital, you KNOW, for a damn fact, that it’s not really going to happen. You know it won’t work, in fact, you’re already inventing up excuses that explain why “it doesn’t work like that.” Stop and look around your city, every hospital you see is a monument to the epic and consistent failure of prayer.

2. Obedience doesn’t work

The Bible states “honor your father and mother – which is the first commandment with a promise – so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Eph 6 :2-3). First I’d note that honoring ones parents is generally a good thing. However, claiming that it extends ones life is an erroneous way of describing how the real world works. There are thousands of examples of very elderly people who either didn’t have parents to honor, or failed to honor them. For example, the infamous killer Bradford Bishop, who killed his mother (obviously failing the “honor your parents” rule) and escaped to Switzerland, but is now 80 years old (Oh sure, you think, “but he’s gonna get it in hell soon,” but whether or not that happens is irrelevant to the fact that the Biblical claim that obedience is tied to longevity has failed). On the other hand, while walking through your local children’s hospital, you will find the utterly tragic and horrifying reality, hundreds of sweet and obedient children are dying from diseases that prayer can’t cure. An acquaintance of mine lost a kind little girl to cancer, and a parent-killer lives to be 80. The Biblical claim in question is utterly false.

3. Fear of God doesn’t work

The Bible also states that “the fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” (Prov 10:27) And yet, this is absolutely at odds with the reality before us. Third world countries without access to medical health, have significantly lower life expectancy than first world countries with better healthcare and sanitation. Are we really to conclude that all the people in Central African Republic are actually wicked Christians (having a life expectancy of 50, and a Christian population of 80%) while most of the people in Japan (having a life expectancy of 85, and a Christian Population of 2.3%) are actually obedient to God while being atheists? The Bible provides an erroneous description of reality, fear God as much as you will, but if you don’t treat Ebola you will die. What determines length of life is access to sanitation, healthcare, technology, nutrition, and simply having good genes.

INACCURATE HISTORY

1. There was no Global Flood

The Bible states that there was a flood wherein “the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.” (Gen 7:19). First off, there are at least ten contradictions in the flood story itself (most scholars state it was two separate myths woven together. Second, a wooden ship the size of the ark is impossible to build, even by modern craftsmen, because wood warps at such sizes (which is why modern ships only increased in size after they were switched to metal).

Third, the logistics of loading the ark, living on the ark, and disembarking from the ark, are literally impossible, having one of every animal on board would produce so much excrement that eight people could not hope to clear it all, working 24 hours a day. Also consider other absurdities of the story, like that the kangaroos would need to swim from across the ocean to reach Australia, while the Amazonian tree frogs would have to hop all the way across an immense desert, and then cross an ocean.

Fourth, numerous civilizations lived and prospered right thought the middle of the date given for the flood, leaving tangible historical records. In fact Egypt has written history, going uninterrupted, that starts a thousand years before the date of the global flood. There is a written Indus script that was developed 200 years before the flood and was used four hundred years after, with no interruption. Famous conquerors like Sargon of Akkad ruled and conquered cities in the exact same time period as the flood. All of these historical facts completely invalidate the possibility of a global flood, but if that’s not enough, scientists say a global flood is physically impossible given our planet and our geological evidence.

2. There were no Egyptian plagues or Exodus

There is not one bit of corroborating evidence that the Hebrews were ever in Egypt, or wandered through the desert. In fact archaeologists say that “no Egyptian text mentions the Israelites except the famous inscription of Merneptah dated to about 1206 B.C.E. But those Israelites were in Canaan; they are not in Egypt, and nothing is said about them escaping from Egypt.”

Israel Finklestein, one of the leading archaeologists in Israel writes“there was no record of any Israelites being in Egypt at that time, and hundreds of thousands of people trekking the desert would likely not have been allowed by Egypt, which tightly controlled the area… There is also no evidence such a group camped for extended periods – including in the places mentioned in the Bible.”

This is echoed by Ze’ev Herzog, Professor Emeritus/Director of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University who states: “This is what archaeologists have learned from their excavations in the Land of Israel: the Israelites were never in Egypt, did not wander in the desert, did not conquer the land in a military campaign and did not pass it on to the 12 tribes of Israel.”

Likewise, by William Dever, who is frequently referred to as the most prominent US archaeologist of the Ancient Near East. He writes: “archaeological investigation of Moses and the Exodus has similarly been discarded as a fruitless pursuit. Indeed, the overwhelming archaeological evidence today of largely indigenous origins for early Israel leaves no room for an exodus from Egypt or a 40-year pilgrimage through the Sinai wilderness.”

Also, obviously, if the Hebrews never left Egypt, then there was no Canaanite invasion, which is exactly what the records show, all the Canaanite cities were never razed or burned to the ground.

3. Solomon wasn’t the richest king

The Bible states that Yahweh told Solomon “And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” (2 Chronicles 1:12). Is this accurate? The conservative Christian scholar Kenneth Kitchens estimated Solomon’s wealth (using a biblical description of Solomon’s annual income in talents) to be equivalent of 20 Billion USD. If that’s the case the King of Thailand has got Solomon beat, with his net worth of 30 Billion USD.

All that aside, seriously consider that Solomon’s Palestine was a tiny speck on the map, 10,000 square miles wide, and there were kings who ruled empires that comprised most of the world. In fact the Greek Empire ruled by Alexander the Great covered 2,000,000 square miles of land, which, ironically enough, included Palestine, but only as a small 0.5% of Alexander’s territory and resources. It is impossible that Solomon could have acquired more wealth than Alexander the Great with such a comparatively tiny land area with limited natural resources, limited citizens to tax, and a limited army.

INACCURATE SCIENCE

1. A mythical creation story

The origin of the universe, God or no God, is a marvelous and fascinating thing, I will grant you that. In fact, there is nothing illogical about saying something like “God, the metaphysically necessary ground of all being is the source of all contingent being.” That is indeed a possibility, however, the Bible doesn’t say that, sophisticated philosophers do.

The Bible creation myth is very different. Besides the many contradictions in the story, it is written like a fairy tale, including talking snakes, magical trees, psychic relationships with all the animals, and includes all manner of scientific inaccuracies. For example plants existing before the sun (someone didn’t know about photosynthesis), a flat earth with a firmament (snow globe cover) above it, and sloppy categorization of the sun & moon as big lights (only one is a light, the other a dead rock) and the stars as little lights (of those, many are hundreds of times larger than the sun.)

In addition there are other descriptions that clearly show a lack of scientific accuracy, for example the story shows Elohim splitting darkness from light, which is a common mythical idea (dualism), but in reality, light is energy, darkness is the absence of energy, you cannot have both the absence & presence of oxygen in the same room, and then split “oxygen” and “no-oxygen” into two rooms, that is logically impossible.

2. An inaccurate cosmology

The Bible describes a wholly inaccurate view of cosmology. The earth is said to be a stationary and immobile flat disc with a protective shell on top, set on pillars that can be shaken (in case you are wondering, no this is not the case). The heavens are the realm on top of this firmament, just like in other ancient myths, the Bible shows this as a real physical place, just above us (Job 22:12)). God is depicted as hiding in the clouds and walking on top of heavens (Job 22:14), causing rain to pour out of heavenly windows (Gen 8:2), releasing wind out of special storehouses (Psalm 135:7) and shooting lightning at the earth. Today we have learned that these phenomena are not supernatural, but rather completely natural. We have discovered that the accurate answers include the rain cycle, global wind patterns, and pressure changes conducive to lightning storms. Likewise, as Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut, said upon breaching the atmosphere, “I don’t see God up here.” Now, while I’ve included this mainly as a joke, the reality is that the Bible indeed says God is above the clouds, it literally says that, and that is an erroneous description of reality.

We have also discovered the earth is not flat, nor firmly and immovably planted on pillars, but rather flying through space at immense speeds. In the last few hundred years, we have discovered even more things that the Bible states in error. Stars are not really tiny lights that can fall to the earth (Rev 6:12-13), they don’t exist in a small firmament layer under heaven (Isaiah 14:13), but are giant suns, billions of light years away into the distance. Recently when we began building even stronger telescopes, we discovered that there were hundreds of billions of stars, not a few thousand, like the Bible states (Deut 28:62). In fact, when it comes to cosmology, the Bible describes almost everything incorrectly!

At this point you can probably say “well, that’s all metaphor” but the reality is, until we discovered it was false, everyone believed it was literal. It was believed by the ancient Hebrews as literal. Why would God write in such an imprecise way that is causes misunderstanding? If people can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s a metaphor, until we verify it apart from the Bible, what use is the bible anyway?

3. An erroneous view of mind

While solving the puzzle of human consciousness is not by any means reaching its end goal, we have certainly learned quite a bit about what kinds of things humans are. The Bible describes human beings in a way that’s not accurate. The Bible never alludes or even mentions the brain, even though this is the very organ that produces our ability to reason, think, and be self-aware.

Instead the Biblical texts place the mind as being located inside the heart. This is patently not true. We have conducted many heart replacement surgeries, and nobody lost their mind during such a procedure (except maybe the family members from worry.) The Bible doesn’t just associate the heart with the mind, it clearly describes all of our mental functions with the heart.

The Bible states that we use our hearts to remember skills (Ex 31:6), to love (Deut 6:5), to grieve (1 Sam 1:8), to write music (Eph 5:19), to keep secrets (1 Corinthians 14:25), to think (Mat 9:4) and ask questions (Mark 2:8), and make decisions (1 Corinthians 7:37). In actuality we know that all of these things are done by the brain. A person can survive with an artificial heart, but take out the brain, and they cease to be a person. The Biblical authors were completely ignorant of this, and this serves as yet another instance of a Biblical failure to correctly describe reality.

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11 responses

I didn’t say it, but quoted three experts, who are not mere educators at your local Bible School, but are well published, have conducted digs, and are considered some of the worlds leading Hebrew archaeologists, including two who have directed the archaeology program at Israels most prestigious and well respected university, Tel Avid University. These are Hebrew scholars, who live there, who have a vested interest in trying to prove its their land, and they say the evidence is not there.

Your article comes from a ministry website run by Christians who presuppose the Bible has to be true, and try to make a case that the Hyskos were really Hebrew (Yet, the Hyskos were never slaves, worshiped Baal the storm God, and had an extended migration away from Egypt over a long period of time.) Seehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyksos

Here is an answer to this question by Dr. Hillel Gray, an expert in the history of Judaism:

1. Depending on what is taken as evidence, the archaeological support is quite thin: The Hebrew Bible itself is not archaeological evidence, as usually understood. Looking at the bible as a historical document, its references to Egypt only prove that the authors had some knowledge of Egypt. It doesn’t mean that any of the authors’ people were there. Plus, scholars typically date the Pentateuch to centuries after the exodus.

2. No Egyptian records mention slaves known as Hebrews. The first Egyptian reference to Israel (in Canaan) is the Merneptah Stela. It is very ancient, though later than would be expected for the exodus, but its brief reference does not corroborate Israelite presence in Egypt or their enslavement.

4. To be sure, archaeological records refer to various peoples (Habiru or Hyksos) who might be correlated to the Biblical account of the Hebrews. However, this correlation only works if the Bible is assumed to be true. Our data on these peoples cannot truly be said to independently corroborate the Bible, not by today’s standards of evidence. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shasu

In short, if the Biblical account is assumed to be basically true, then a smattering of archaeological evidence can help bolster our understanding or explanation of the Hebrews’ enslavement and exodus. However, if you take a neutral approach to the bible, the external evidence is not sufficient to prove or corroborate the Biblical claims regarding Hebrew/Israelite life in Egypt.”

Can you tell me how it is that you are able to get the text of whatever Bible verse you have in the post pop up once you scroll your mouse over it? Is it something your specific blog has set up or the site you link to?

I can tell your an intelligent person, and I hope I am mistaken about this because I was actually going to sit down and refute every single claim you make. But it’s pointless if you will simply delete it right away.

Alex, you replied to another persons comment. I also replied to that comment. The next day that person deleted their comment, as a side effect deleting your response to it, and my reply to your response. I did go into the back end and found your reply, and mine. While I wont repost the original comment (I don’t know why they deleted it, and it’s not my business, its their intellectual property.)

Here is what you said

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I completely agree! Also, check out “the minimal facts argument” by michael licona. And also some of his books on the ressurection.

The following is mostly for the original author of this blog. I tried to keep it super short mostly because I’m at work and very limited on time, so please read the whole thing should take about 5 minutes.

I wanted to reply to this blog as well because I went through a very similar phase of agnosticism in which I doubted all of this. I can tell that he is struggling to believe the credibility of the Christian faith becAuse to him it looks like a lack of intellectual evidence. I’m here to say that it is not the case, and that your absolutely right, no one ever claimed that since the bible it true, therefore Christianity is true l. That is a huge misguided statement. The test we have is the ressurection. And if you look at strictly historical evidence, then the best possible solution of what goes in the gaping hole of history is a physical (easily disproven if it didn’t happen) ressurection. If the author of this blog is reading this, I urge you to read the following authors on this issue.

Also, just on a side note, it seems as though you are misinformed on how excactly translations work and what the council of nicea was. But we can save that for a different time.
And if you wanna chat, I live in Portland and would love to take you to lunch if you are ever in town. I can share excactly why got me to believe the Christian faith and be forced to admit my parents have been right all along.

May you be richly blessed as your perspective of the truth of the Gospel change and most importantly your relationship with God grow.

Alex Maksimov

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Here was my original reply

Hi Alex, I’ve engaged plenty with Licona’s and Habermas’ works. The other thee scholars you cite are not historians, not sure why you imply their expertise is relevant.

It seems like you are trying to make an argument from authority? If this is the case be aware that this is a fallacious way of getting to the truth.

I can also provide you with a list of scholars, all of whom are not from unrelated fields, but are world renowned experts on the historical Jesus who disagree with evangelicals, and since you like credentials, we shall also include these :)

Most of this is not factual but your own perception. It is typical for “skeptics” to suffer from severe personal incredulity like this. For example, there is no proof neurological or otherwise that the brain produces thought. Only that it is somehow correlated. Yet you use your own materialistic perceptions to state that a spiritual view of the mind is wrong, even when no proof exists either way.

If you believe there is not God, and the Bible isn’t true I guess my question to you would be how do you explain all of the fulfilled prophecy of the Bible? There is plenty but some of the most amazing fulfilled prophecy is seen with Israel. His chosen people were warned they would be scattered and persecuted, but he also promised to bring them back. He promised that when they were regathered the nation of Israel would be re-established. I think we all know the Jews were persecuted and indeed scattered among nations. Israel became a nation again in May of 1948. The only nation to ever cease and be scattered only to become a nation again. 100 years ago people would never believe that was a possibility. He also said he would revive their ancient language. When the Jews were scattered they ceased to speak their language. Now they are again speaking Biblical Hebrew as prophesied. This is the only time an ancient language thad has ceased has ever been revived. He said Israel would be a burdensome stone. The UN has had consistent anti-Israel bias. Nikki Haley quoted there have been 70 resolutions targeting Israel. There is constant conflict with Israel in the middle. Just take a look at what has went on regarding the US, and UN since Dec 23 of 2016, and see if you don’t see that Israel is a burdensome stone among nations. Another prophecy, reoccupation of Jerusalem by the Jews, the 6 day war. They were vastly outnumbered, facing 4 enemies. Do a quick search of their casualties versus the enemies. Approx 760 Israeli casualties vs 18,000 Arab, but you can get more exact numbers in Wikipedia.

“But all who devour you will be devoured; all your enemies will go into exile. Those who plunder you will be plundered; all who make spoil of you I will despoil. But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.” Jerimiah 30

They conquored enemies from the North, South, and East, and tripled their territory. Tanks outnumbered by 1704, aircraft outnumbered by 657. They had a reserve of 254,000 soldiers, but were faced with 525,000 Arab soldiers. Now look at the casualties again. This was astonished the world. What I see is God did what he said he would. Their victory was a miracle. Ironic it was 6 days too, guess they rested on that 7th day.

Jesus said when you see the fig tree (Israel is referred to multiple times as a fig tree, and he just compared it to a fig tree the day prior when he cursed it) bear fruit know that he is near. I think they bore fruit when they became a nation and took Jerusalem. He said the generation that saw that won’t pass away. We don’t know for sure what Jesus would define as a generation but my guess is 70-80 years.
“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Psalms 90:10. Our life expectancy today is still approx 70-80.

It was prophesied that when they were regathered they would have great military strength “a flaming torch” and consume those around them.

Do I understand God’s reasoning in everything in the Bible, no, probably because I’m not God. When people say “that’s the Old Testament” that isn’t a pointless “comeback.” At that time there was judgement and wrath for sins as there was no sacrifice, until God sent his son as an ultimate sacrifice for sins, a new covenant. Why does God allow sin. If you marry a wife do you want her to make the choice to marry you or be forced without making the decision own her own. He made us, he can do what he wants, and he wants us to choose him not be forced. Why did we have to pay for sins at all? God’s holy and without sin. Again I’m not God, he made us and can do what he wants. My question to the atheist whether you can comprehend it all or not, is can you really believe in our intricate design and DNA coding, uniqueness, and individuality, we just sprang into creation from nothing?http://coldcasechristianity.com/2015/why-the-information-in-our-dna-points-to-the-existence-of-god/

Evolution? Why aren’t monkies still transforming into humans?

Seems people here like people with titles, Phd and such. There are plenty of creation scientist geniuses that can back up their beliefs as to how we came to be as well.

In Rev 12, revelation given to John by Jesus he saw a great sign.
12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

“Coincidentally” enough, this exact sign occurred Sept 23 of this year. Virgo was clothed with the sun, above her shoulder, just as people clothed themselves and put the brooch on their shoulder in that day. The moon was under her feet. Jupiter (the king planet) was in her “womb” the same period as a human gestation. It even did a rare retrograde motion to stay there.
What does the sign mean? I don’t know for sure I’m not God. But the fact that something that was in the Bible as a “great sign” was visible in our sky garnered my attention. You can research that too. Plenty tried to disprove it, and at first I thought they did but with further study, nope it lines up just like Rev 12. The 3 planets form the crown. Planets were “wandering stars” to people of John’s era. Looks just like an Egyptian crown of that time. Before any Christians shout “astrology,” no it’s astronomy! The constellations wrote God’s story in the heavens, and is mentioned in the Bible. It was the mazzaroth but humans twisted it to a fortune telling zodiac which is yes condemned in the Bible.

I listed a few of the prophecies involving the Jews. But this article goes more in depth and lists the scriptures. And I’m just writing this for whomever might read this and want to search out the truth.

Even without that I would know God was there. I’m sure atheists hate to hear “because I feel it.” But they can’t get it because they don’t feel it because he isn’t present with them. I have asked God to answer my questioning allowing a song to play on the radio next if the answer was yes, it did. I felt it might have been a coincidence so I asked him another day to play it again next, he did..again. On another day I listened to the radio four hours straight without hearing the song at all, so it’s not like it’s one that is played often. One day I was as distraught as I could be longing to see someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. I cried and prayed pleased just let me run into this person. About 5 min I saw this person beside me on the highway. I might add we both happened to be a hour away from where we lived on a route that neither of our everyday travels generally included. There was another day I again asked to see this person and I did again on the road beside me. Coincidences? Could be, but with extreme odds. Some people may just not believe me, but that’s their prerogative. I believe because I know. If they truly believed with faith maybe he would reveal himself to them that way too.

I text all this when I woke up and got bored and stumbled upon it while looking at my phone. So there may be multiple typos or errors. I didn’t proofread. Just being honest lol. My thumbs hurt now haha. Again bottom line, do you honestly think all this came from nothing? People throw in, well where did God come from. We can’t understand that because we are subjected to time. God is not. He created time and lives outside of it.

Skimmed through it now that I posted. Yep multiple typos!🙈 I’m sleepy. For one “questioning” was supposed to be “question.” I was questioning God concerning something specific in my life, not questioning his existence or anything. I see a few more….but as I said I’m sleepy. Im sure you can figure it out even with my typos and this stupid auto correct😂